Dictionary

electrify en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪˈlɛktɹɪfaɪ/

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek ἤλεκτρον (ḗlektron)bor. Latin ēlectrum Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus New Latin ēlectricusbor. English electric English -fy English electrify From electric + -fy.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To supply electricity to; to charge with electricity.
   • to electrify a cable
   • Those most rural routes will not get overhead wires. As Reeve told the seminar: "Even in my wildest dreams, I can't see a business case for electrifying the Far North Line." 2022 August 10, Philip Haigh, “Scotland switched on to electrification”, in RAIL, number 963, page 35:
2. (transitive) To cause electricity to pass through; to affect by electricity; to give an electric shock to.
   • to electrify a limb, or the body
3. (transitive) To adapt (a home, farm, village, city, industry, vehicle, railroad) for electric power.
   • And I want to get different kinds of sound. I want to electrify myself a bit. I got a phase shifter for my guitar, and I've been playing with a drum machine. 1986, Bernard Brannner, quoting Blackberri, “Blackberri: Singing for Our Lives”, in Joseph Beam, editor, In The Life: A Black Gay Anthology, page 180:
   • Baroness Randerson had asked if, following the publication of the Government's Decarbonising transport: setting the challenge report in March, there had been any consideration to electrify more rail lines - and if so, to prioritise routes between Cardiff and Swansea, in the East Midlands and in the Lake District. All had been planned for electrification before subsequently being cancelled. 2020 May 20, Richard Clinnick, “Network News: Electrification key to decarbonisation”, in Rail, page 16:
4. (transitive) To strongly excite, especially by something delightful or inspiring; to thrill.
   • His poeticized version of a news flash about the advent of AIDS (the disease that killed his mother) electrifies, as it should, like unexpected lightning. 2009 January 14, Ben Brantley, Jason Zinoman, “In Festival, Biography, Beckett and Blues”, in The New York Times:
   • Her performance in the play electrified the audience.
   • The trailblazing Oaxacan chef Alejandro Ruiz […] has spiked this black-bean sauce with a hidden depth charge of flavor: patches of foliage from a local avocado tree. The leaves electrify the sauce with an unexpected thrum of black licorice. 2014 October 25, Jeff Gordinier, “In search of the perfect taco”, in T: The New York Times Style Magazine (international edition), page 100:
   • Try whether she could electrify Mr. Grandcourt by mentioning it to him at table. 1876, George Eliot, Daniel Deronda:
   • If the sovereign were now to immure a subject in defiance of the writ of habeas corpus […] the whole nation would be instantly electrified by the news. 1848, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter I, in The History of England from the Accession of James II:
5. (intransitive) To make electric.

Forms

Deriveds

re-electrify · de-electrify · electrification · electrifier · unelectrify · electrifiable

Relateds

electric · electricity

Synonyms

sharpen · wake · exhilarate · enflame · fire the blood · electricize · energize · set fire to · animate · galvanize · galvanize · intoxicate · exagitate · enkindle · enthrill · kindle · suscitate · quicken · thrill · work up · awaken · electrize · shock · inflame · electrize · fillip · electrify · gin up · set on fire · yerk · electricalize · fire · wind up · ignite · exsuscitate · rouse · vitalise · zap · send · whet · warm the blood · galvanize · excite · electricize · galvanize · stir the blood · electricalize · vitalize

Translations (64)

pt eletrizar (to cause electricity to pass through) · pt eletrificar (to cause electricity to pass through) · de elektrifizieren (to cause electricity to pass through) · kk электрлендіру (to adapt for electric power) · fr électrifier (to cause electricity to pass through) · de elektrifizieren (to adapt for electric power) · ru электризова́ть (to cause electricity to pass through) · be электрыфікава́ць (to adapt for electric power) · fr électrifier (to communicate electricity to) · uk електрифікува́ти (to adapt for electric power) · fr électriser (to cause electricity to pass through) · io elektrizar (to communicate electricity to) · ca electrificar (to communicate electricity to) · it elettrificare (to cause electricity to pass through) · mi whakahiko (to cause electricity to pass through) · is rafvæða (to communicate electricity to) · sv strömsätta (to cause electricity to pass through) · pl zelektryfikować (to adapt for electric power) · pt eletrizar (to excite suddenly and violently) · ar كَهْرَبَ (to communicate electricity to) · cy trydanu (to communicate electricity to) · el ηλεκτρίζω (to excite suddenly and violently) · cmn 電氣化 /电气化 (to adapt for electric power) · sv ladda (to communicate electricity to) · de elektrifizieren (to communicate electricity to) · fr électrifier (to adapt for electric power) · de elektrisieren (to excite suddenly and violently) · ru электрифици́ровать (to adapt for electric power) · mi whakahiko (to communicate electricity to) · el ηλεκτρίζω (to communicate electricity to) · sv elektrifiera (to cause electricity to pass through) · pt eletrizar (to become electric) · fr électriser (to excite suddenly and violently) · ca electrificar (to cause electricity to pass through) · sv entusiasmera (to excite suddenly and violently) · gl electrificar (to communicate electricity to) · es electrificar (to communicate electricity to) · pt eletrificar (to adapt for electric power) · es electrificar (to adapt for electric power) · ru электрифици́ровать (to communicate electricity to) · fr électriser (to communicate electricity to) · ca electritzar (to excite suddenly and violently) · el ηλεκτρίζω (to cause electricity to pass through) · pl elektryfikować (to adapt for electric power) · cy trydanu (to cause electricity to pass through) · ru наэлектризова́ть (to cause electricity to pass through) · sv elektrificera (to communicate electricity to) · sv elektrificera (to adapt for electric power) · it elettrificare (to communicate electricity to) · es electrificar (to cause electricity to pass through) · ar كَهْرَبَ (to adapt for electric power) · ca electrificar (to adapt for electric power) · it elettrificare (to adapt for electric power) · sv elektrificera (to cause electricity to pass through) · fr exciter (to excite suddenly and violently) · eo elektrizi (to adapt for electric power) · sv elektrifiera (to adapt for electric power) · gl electrificar (to adapt for electric power) · gl electrificar (to cause electricity to pass through) · io elektrizar (to cause electricity to pass through) · pt eletrificar (to communicate electricity to) · es electrizar (to excite suddenly and violently) · sv elektrifiera (to communicate electricity to) · sv elektrisera (to excite suddenly and violently)